Journal: Bibliotheca Sacra
Volume: BSAC 154:615 (Jul 1997)
Article: The Two Witnesses in Revelation 11
Author: Daniel K. K. Wong

BSac 154:615 (Jul 97) p. 344

The Two Witnesses in Revelation 11

Daniel K. K. Wong

[Daniel K. K. Wong is President and Professor of Biblical Studies, Chinese for Christ Theological Seminary, Alhambra, California.]

Revelation 11:3–13, with its reference to two witnesses, is in a parenthetical section (10:1–14:22) that gives information on the Great Tribulation. This section reveals that during that future tribulation Jerusalem and its temple court will be trampled by Gentile nations for forty-two months (11:1–2). At that time God will raise up two witnesses for 1,260 days (v. 3). They will prophesy and will be given supernatural power to kill their enemies, withhold rain, turn water to blood, and bring plagues on the earth (vv. 4–6). At the end of 1,260 days, the beast from the abyss will wage war with the witnesses, overcome them, and kill them (v. 7). Their deaths will cause the whole earth to rejoice, but God will raise them up and they will ascend into heaven (vv. 8–12).

Who are these two witnesses, and who is their adversary?

The Identity of the Two Witnesses

Expositors differ widely in their identification of these future witnesses. The three kinds of interpretations are the symbolic, the corporate, and the literal.

Symbolic Interpretations

Expositors within this category agree on one point: The witnesses are not human beings. These scholars vary, however, in their opinion of what the witnesses represent. The main interpretations in this group are these: (1) The two witnesses represent the testimony of the church from the Law and the prophets,1 (2) the Old and New Testaments,2 (3) the Word of God and the Spirit of God,3

BSac 154:615 (Jul 97) p. 345

(4) the church’s double testimony of the Word and blood,4 and (5) two volcanoes.5

Corporate Interpretations

Ten views on the witnesses’ identity have been suggested in this category: (1) the church in its function of witness-bearing,6 (2) the church represented in the east by the Paulikians and the west by the Waldenses,You must have a subscription and be logged in to read the entire article.
Click here to subscribe